Airline, airport, hotel, destination, visa, and Muslim travel updates from Irhal.
The airline marks Philadelphia as its 14th destination in North America NEW YORK, NY, USA – Qatar Airways has reconnected Doha and Philadelphia with the launch of a daily non-stop flight between Hamad International Airport (DOH) and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), its 14th destination in North America, which resumed on 1 August 2026.
Read full storyThis summer, Central Shopping Centers invites international visitors to experience the best of shopping, dining, and leisure with Summer Holiday 2026, running from 20 July – 30 September 2026. Created exclusively for international tourists, the campaign offers shopping privileges across Thailand’s five world-class shopping malls: centralwOrld, Central Park…
Read full storyThe Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Jordan Tourism Board, in cooperation with tourism associations, have launched the integrated digital platform "Ahlan Jordan" as part of measures to support the tourism sector and address the impact of regional circumstances on travel activity.
Read full storyflydubai, the Dubai-based carrier, has increased its daily operations between Dubai and Naples and is set to boost its flights to Milan-Bergamo to a double-daily operation from 31 July, enhancing passenger connectivity to Italy.
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – July 28, 2026: The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi has announced that Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, a museum of modern and contemporary art, will open its doors on 11 December 2026 at Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi.
Warner Bros. World™ Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, the region's largest indoor theme park, is inviting guests to place themselves in the hands of one of DC's most iconic Super-Villains, as Kryptonite Collider officially opens.
Malaysia Retains No. 1 Position in Global Muslim Travel Index 2025, Offering GCC Travellers a Summer of Festivals, Culture and Discovery.
The Dubai-based carrier announces the start of daily flights to Aleppo from 20 July, reaffirming its connectivity to opening underserved markets Aleppo becomes the carrier’s second destination in Syria alongside Damascus
What if the most valuable thing you brought home from a trip wasn’t an object, but a story? Northern Thailand is home to dozens of ethnic communities who have carried their identities across mountains and borders for centuries – and many of them welcome curious, respectful visitors.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today launched the search for the 7 Contemporary Wonders of the World, a global initiative designed to identify and celebrate the landmarks and buildings created since 1801 that have had the greatest impact on Travel & Tourism, local communities and economic development, and continue to redefine the future of destin…
Luxury travel today is no longer measured by how much you can see in a few days, but by how deeply you can experience a destination. At Le Méridien Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort, guests are invited to embrace this philosophy through Long Stay Beach Escape, an exclusive package designed for travelers who wish to enjoy more of Phuket's culture, wellness, and f…
Read full storyTwo hotels, three ways to stay, and one summer campaign inviting guests to choose their own scene across Paramount Hotel Midtown and Paramount Hotel Dubai
Read full storySharjah Museums Offer an Integrated Summer Experience Blending Culture, Science, and Discovery for All Community Members
Read full storyNew five-day programme empowers young people to build confidence, resilience and lifelong skills while embracing active lifestyles
Read full storyAcross Five Museums with Interactive Museum Programmes Enriching Children’s Knowledge
Read full storyOceans of Lights Festival returns to SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi in its third edition to offer a summer program full of activities and new experiences
Read full storyJuly 2026, Yerevan, Armenia: Armenia has extended its temporary visa-free entry arrangement, keeping the country within easy reach for eligible travellers from across the Gulf for a further year. The arrangement now runs until 1 July 2027.
Read full storyJuly 2026, Yerevan, Armenia: The competent Armenian authorities announced the extension of the temporary decision exempting eligible travelers from GCC countries from prior visa entry for an additional year, making the decision effective until July 1, 2027. This decision aims to facilitate travel procedures and tourism movement and exchange between Armenia and the Arab Gulf region, allowing travelers…
Read full storySet within Khalid Lagoon, the island shows how Sharjah brings art, nature and design into everyday public life.
Read full storyBlending cultural discovery with elevated wellness and leisure experiences, World of Hyatt summer destinations offer GCC travelers seasonal getaways across the GCC, Africa and Europe.
Read full storyAbu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – June 30, 2026: Yas Waterworld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi has officially been awarded the Guinness World Records™ title for the most waterslides in a waterpark, featuring a record-breaking collection of 55 slides.
Read full storyExperience the Colours of Malaysia at Citrawarna 2026 This Summer
Read full storyGermany is an ideal destination for friends traveling together, thanks to its creative neighborhoods, vibrant markets, street food culture, and stunning natural retreats
Read full storyFollowing the launch of its first collaboration in 2025, the Jacquemus brand returns this summer to the Monte Carlo Beach Club with a new design that reimagines the coastal atmosphere with a contemporary spirit. The design evokes the spirit of 1950s beach clubs, where elegance meets the calm Mediterranean lifestyle.
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The market for luxury residences in Doha is growing, said Kempinski Residences & Suites, Doha General Manager, Emel Atikkan. "The State of Qatar is expected to see further development across various sectors, which will have positive effects on hospitality and residential property. For Kempinski -- which is anticipated to open its doors in April -- Qatar is one of the primary growth markets in the Middle East,"…
, a major luxury hospitality operator, plans to open five new properties in the Middle East, and nearly double its total international portfolio to 41 properties by 2013. Mandarin will manage its first regional property on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island by August 2013. Christopher Mares, Director of Operations in Europe, Middle East, and Africa, said “The Abu Dhabi property will feature 160 hotel rooms, 35 serviced…
Global hotel operator Frasers Hospitality, which currently manages 31 properties in 19 cities around the world, said in a statement on Thursday it is planning to expand further in the Middle East. CEO of Frasers Hospitality, Choe Peng Sum, said “The Middle East remains a most exciting growth area for business and tourism and, strategically for Frasers Hospitality, an important pillar in our global…
British Airways (BA) issued a statement on Wednesday saying it plans to operate 70 percent of its long haul flights during the next phase of the strike action by its cabin crew, scheduled to start on Saturday, March 27th, and continue until Tuesday, March 30th. The strike action was initiated in protest of proposed changes in pay and working conditions by BA management. BA explained in a statement that an…
Dubai hotels registered a 15 percent increase in occupancy rate in February, the first increase since the global economic downturn began impacting its tourism sector. The capital’s hotels recorded a 15.9 percent increase in occupancy rate to more than 86 percent in February, the biggest increase in the Middle East and Africa. The February increase in Dubai comes despite concerns by some industry experts that…
Air Arabia, the first and biggest low cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa, announced its general assembly has approved the distribution of a 10pc cash dividend of the company’s share of capital. Air Arabia chairman Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammad Al-Thani said “We are glad to share Air Arabia’s success with our shareholders by distributing a 10 percent cash dividend of the company’s share capital for…
Jet Airways announced on Wednesday it will begin daily flights to the southern Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram to Damman on March 28th as part of its expansion plans in the region. Afzal Azam Baig, general manager of Jet Airways for Saudi Arabia, said “The launch of the new route means that Jet Airways will operate its third daily service from a Saudi city to India.” Flight number 9W 566 will take off from…
Muscat International Airport will have a piped refuelling system that will improve the safety and efficiency standards of the airport. Known as Rotork Valve Actuators, the system will be used on the aircraft hydrant refuelling plant at the airport. With an estimated cost of RO50 million, the system is scheduled to open in 2014. "The actuation technology will help to increase the integrity of the aircraft…
Emirates Airline will not move its operations to Al Maktoum International Airport till 2022 or more, said Tim Clark, the airline’s president. According to Clark, the carrier is reconsidering its move from Dubai International Airport. “We have refocused here [at Dubai International],” Clark said. “With a certain amount of investment here, you can get a lot more out of this airport,” he added. The airline had…
Emirates Airlines’ Dubai-Amsterdam route will be inaugurated on May 1, said a statement issued by the carrier. Emirates said it will start the daily service with a Boeing 777 aircraft and will be the only airline offering a first-class cabin on this route. EK flight 145 will leave Dubai daily at 0825 hrs and arrive in Amsterdam at 1330 hrs. From Amsterdam, EK 146 will leave at 1530 hrs, arriving in Dubai at…
A large group of foreign tourists comprising more than 630 men and women from 18 countries are in Jeddah these days. The group toured Jeddah's historical area on Tuesday and was warmly welcomed. The tourists, who arrived by Crystal Serenity, an international tourist cruise ship, also visited the Abdul Rauf Khalil Museum, Corniche, camel market in south Jeddah and the fish market. The group includes tourists…
Bahrain generated over $1.746 billion from tourists, said an official of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2010. Quoting Euromonitor statistics, the ATM official, said last year Bahrain's spending on outgoing tourist expenditure reached $677 million while domestic tourism expenditure totaled only $17 million. Bahrain's Ministry of Culture and Information will participate in this year’s ATM that is slated to take…
Abu Dhabi's Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) has launched a tender competition to build a branch of the Louvre Museum on Saadiyat Island, it was learnt on Tuesday. The expected opening date for the museum’s opening is September 2013. "The main contract works, the dome, mechanical, electrical, is tendered today," Felix Reinberg, director of projects delivery at TIDC’s museum division…
Several parks in Abu Dhabi are seen housing fitness and sports equipment in line with the city municipality’s commitment to encouraging a healthier lifestyle. New fitness facilities are being installed along walkways in the Public Park at Abu Dhabi Corniche and the park on Khalifa Street. "This initiative comes within the municipality's strategy to meet the community needs of services, recreational and sports…
The Ministry of Interior, UAE is employing stringent visa formalities in a bid to ensure that visa applicants have a clean record, said Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister and minister of interior on Tuesday. According to the details, the ministry’s new procedures will verify whether or not a person has been deported fro the UAE or is on the list of people banned from…
The Chinese national carrier, Air China, plans to increase its Middle East presence with new routes and more frequencies, according to an airline official. Wang Zhiyong, General Manager-UAE, for Air China said “The Middle East is the quickest developing area in terms of air traffic and it makes sense to expand our network in the region.” The airline currently flies four times a week from its hub in Beijing to…
Royal Jordanian Airlines will get two new Airbus A330s on May 21, for use on its London and Far East destinations. Hussein Dabbas, President and CEO of Royal Jordanian, said the aircraft will fill an important gap in its current fleet of 20 aircraft, especially since delivery of 11 Boeing 787 Dreamliners have been delayed by two years, until 2013. The new Airbus A330 aircraft will fly four times a week to…
Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest man made structure, will turn its lights off for Earth Hour 2010, between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm on March 27th. The 828 meter tower is joining tens of thousands of iconic buildings and landmarks across the world to participate in Earth Hour this year. Other global landmarks turning their lights off for the event include the three tallest towers in the world after Burj Khalifa: CN…
Al Maktoum International Airport will open a cargo terminal on June 27th, with an initial capacity of 250,000 tons a year. The cargo terminal’s capacity will later increase to 600,000 tons a year. The emirate is spending $33 billion (Dh121.37bn) on Al the airport because its current hub will probably not be able to handle increasing demand. The new airport will eventually have five runways and four passenger…
Some governments in the Arab world put a higher priority on expanding their aircraft fleets than looking at more important issues, said Air Arabia CEO Adel Ali. Talking to journalists on Tuesday, Ali said that increasing competition in the region will force several low-cost carriers to go bust. “Obviously the legacy carriers will not close down because they are owned by governments. So probably instead of…
Yemen Airways has announced that the airline’s passengers can now avail an online booking facility. The service on www.yemenia.com will make booking flights easier for domestic and international passengers. "This is an exciting time for our airline. Being able to provide self-service booking to our passengers is great progress. It makes the booking process easier and also will also save us significant costs.…
Three beachfront hotels located on Dubai's Palm Jumeirah will open this year, thus strengthening the island’s position as a popular tourist spot. Located along Palm Jumeirah's trunk and crescent, the hotels from a series of operators and developers will join Atlantis, The Palm, currently the only hotel there. "While much of the recent attention has focused on the impact of the downturn on the hospitality…
Hotel and Fairmont Hotels and Resorts on Shaikh Zayed Road, Dubai, will turn off their lights for an hour (8.30pm to 9.30pm) on March 27 to observe Earth Hour 2010. This is a global event that sends a strong message regarding the battle against global warming. Four Points Sheraton will observe it on 43rd floor rooftop, together with its more than 130 hotels in Starwood's Europe, Africa and Middle East region.…
The number of GCC tourists visiting Turkey increased by 16.45 per cent in 2009, said a recent report regarding the global travel and tourism industry. According to the details, more than 27 million tourists from around the world visited Turkey in 2009, with GCC tourists comprising a large part of this figure. Emin Kaya, the cultural and information attaché in Dubai and the Turkish Tourism Office manager in the…
